Posts by freddo

32

Britain in the doldrums!

by Nicholaus Kopernicus in

the 2014 - 2015 jw statistics showed a peak publisher decline of 884 with the average publisher tally showing a gain of 183. .

the 2017 yearbook is now available via jw.org and the statistics for britain show a 2016 peak publisher increase of 630 and an average publisher increase of a paltry 26!.

nothing to shout about on the part of the followers of caiaphas in the britain branch.

freddo

@Landy

96 to 06 there was no UK growth at all (probably due to the generational change). There has been more steady growth between 06 and now.

But notice how the population rises from 1996 to 2006 - very roughly 1.6 million but from 2006 to 2016 - a whopping - 6.4 million. I believe this reflects the great influx of folk from eastern Europe having joined the EU and been granted free movement - especially from Poland - who make up a sizeable portion of recent jw's today in the UK.

Growth? It's as flat as a pancake really.

117

2017 Yearbook released

by bohm in

jw
friends

i saw this on reddit:.

https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/5mlgsm/2017_yearbook_of_jehovahs_witnesses/.

overall the numbers are better than last year (1.8% growth compared to 1.5% last year -- as i predicted ;-) ) with an increase in all major figures including 1300 more congregations (i assume this is not physical kingdom halls?).

freddo

That bit which I have changed to italics and bold - how does that compare with Acts 12 v 22,23 do you think?

“I feel as if Jehovah were talking to me right in my room when I listen to members of the Governing Body and their helpers,” says Agatha, a circuit overseer’s wife in Ghana. “Without this tool, how could a poor girl like me in a small corner of the earth have such a great privilege? It has really brought us much closer to our dear brothers and sisters around the world.” p.24-25 YB2017

Acts 12 v 22,23 (NWT) says -

Then the people who were assembled began shouting: "A god's voice and not a man's!" Instantly the angel of Jehovah* struck him, because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten up with worms and died.

See also Revelation 19 v 10 and Acts 10 v 25.

14

How to believe you deserve to relax

by rebel8 in

jw
friends

i was brainwashed to believe you generally shouldn't relax much.. demons can enter you if you meditate or even relax your brain too much for one second.

always be on guard.. scriptures criticizing laziness were repeated often.

https://www.openbible.info/topics/laziness "be kind to yourself" and all that.. you need to strenuously exert yourself for jehoopla and you're worthless if you don't.. most forms of fun were extinguished.

freddo

A very good and thought provoking opening post. I agree entirely.

117

2017 Yearbook released

by bohm in

jw
friends

i saw this on reddit:.

https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/5mlgsm/2017_yearbook_of_jehovahs_witnesses/.

overall the numbers are better than last year (1.8% growth compared to 1.5% last year -- as i predicted ;-) ) with an increase in all major figures including 1300 more congregations (i assume this is not physical kingdom halls?).

freddo

USA's "peak" has dropped two years in a row - down over 11,778 since 2014.

117

2017 Yearbook released

by bohm in

jw
friends

i saw this on reddit:.

https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/5mlgsm/2017_yearbook_of_jehovahs_witnesses/.

overall the numbers are better than last year (1.8% growth compared to 1.5% last year -- as i predicted ;-) ) with an increase in all major figures including 1300 more congregations (i assume this is not physical kingdom halls?).

freddo

Some interesting (I hope) peak to peak figures from the developed world. Highest figure in bold.

"Britain" - 2016 - 138,261 - 2015 - 137,631 - 2014 - 138,515 - 2013 - 136,993

Australia - 2016 - 67,418 - 2015 - 67,606 - 2014 - 68,635 - 2013 - 66,918

Germany - 2016 - 165,624 - 2015 - 165,754 - 2014 - 166,262 - 2013 - 164,885

Italy - 2016 - 251,092 - 2015 - 251,032 - 2014 - 251,650 - 2013 - 248,743

U.S.A - 2016 - 1,231,609 - 2015 - 1,231,867 - 2014 - 1,243,387 - 2013 - 1,219,931

Note that for the above group this year's peak is lower than two years ago.

France bucks the trend a little ...

France - 2016 - 128,759 - 2015 - 127,444 - 2014 - 127,961 - 2013 - 124, 674

But look at Canada. Lower peak than in 2013.

Canada - 2016 - 115,006 - 2015 - 115,234 - 2014 - 116,312 - 2013 - 115,599

And my favourite - Japan!

Japan - 2016 - 214,173 - 2015 - 215,216 - 2014 - 215,703 - 2013 - 216,472

20

Faith to Faithless XJW event London, UK

by Fe2O3Girl in

description.

we often come across jehovah's witnesses near station entrances and at our front doors, but we never hear about what happens when they leave.

if you're near london, uk, faith to faithless are doing their first ever event at kings college london, and their first ex jw panel!.

freddo

Tuesday January 10th.

Deborah Frances-White was a JW of course.

I think she did a radio sketch on BBC Radio 4 about flying to Canada to help a young man leave the witnesses and how she had to deal with two of his elders.

144

RC 2017

by wifibandit in

due to last years success, i will post everything related to the 2017 regional convention in this thread.. to start us off.... thanks to exjw reddit user ich3b we have advance notice of the theme (this is not a joke!).

the theme for the 2017 regional convention is: "don’t give up!” .

as always, if you have access to confidential materials you would like to leak but need to protect your identity, pm me or email me: wifibandit1 (at) gmail.

freddo

@waton

Well said. And welcome to the forum.

44

Update to UK “Child Safeguarding Policy”

by wifibandit in

a known poster on this site (anon) says:.

i have just received a text from an elder i've known for decades in my circuit who has some sympathy for my feelings and who is aware of the arc, the uk charity commission, etc., etc.

here it is verbatim, and my reply.

freddo

@Richard Oliver

The two points of your first sentence go hand in glove. A flawed policy that wasn't even coherently written in one document to be adhered to - coupled with elders (by and large) who only followed what the next man up the command chain told them to do.

I believe that the policy is only in place because of the last twenty years of outcry by brave souls against this self-preserving, money grubbing organisation.

This document is only in place because of the hard work of the ARC and the fear of the forthcoming UK Charity investigations.

Read it carefully - look at the puffed up wordiness of it - e.g "abundance of information and spiritual advice" and the cherry picking of ass-covering scriptures in e.g. using Deut. 6 v 6,7 - Prov 22 v 3 - Galatians 6 v 5. Then over 60 pages of magazine articles attached.

This document is only there because Satan's legal system put hooks in the legal department's jaws and dragged it out of them.

And why is it only available "on request"? Why no letter to be read informing the congregation of its existence?

11

December 28, 2016 BOE Re: One Study Edition of The Watchtower in Languages Other Than English

by wifibandit in

december 28, 2016 to all congregations re: one study edition of the watchtower in languages other than english.

dear brothers:.

for several years, the simplified edition of the watchtower has been produced in french,.

freddo

Conductor: "So let's look at paragraph one and ask the question. Who lives in the sky?"

Kid of three: "Jeeehovah!

Conductor: "Well done! Next paragraph."

Reader: "So Jehovah lives in the Sky. Now who does he use to look after the Earth today? Yes. The Governing Body! Aren't we happy that he does? Because He is "The Happy God!" And to make Him happier we obey the Governing Body."

Conductor: "Paragraph Two. Who does Jehovah use on the Earth and why should we obey them ... hang on I'll split that into two questions to make it easier ..."

31

"Historical" Announcement This Week?

by headisspinning in

my daughter asked if anyone has heard anything about a 'big announcement' being made sometime this week in congregations in canada and possibly beyond... in her words "it's like a biggggg long thing, they cut out part of the book study for it and people heard it was a historical thing"... any ideas?

could it be the mexican branch closing or the theme of the convention?

or something else?

freddo

@DATA-DOG

You said: "OMG!!! One of the Gibbering Buddies and a Gibbering Buddy Helper?!?!?! Why can't I live in Canada??? 😩"

I say: Let it be Lett! Please, please, please! In Jesus name Amen!